Jason Day ‘gives it a go’ in the third round after attack of vertigo at US Open

Jason Day collapsed on the ninth hole – the last of his second round
He received medical assistance before playing on and posting a bogey
Day still looked unsteady after the round and was given more help
The Australian is known to have suffered from vertigo since 2010

Published:
20:22 GMT, 20 June 2015

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Updated:
01:47 GMT, 21 June 2015

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Australian Jason Day lived up to his promise and made it to the first tee at the US Open having collapsed during the second round on Friday with vertigo.

Over the opening holes he looked like a man playing in a neck brace as he bent down gingerly and avoided any sudden movements. It was hard not to admire his guts and gusto.

Jason Day opted to play on despite collapsing on the final hole of his second round after an attack of vertigo

Day looked like a man playing in a neck brace as he bent down gingerly and avoided any sudden movements

Day marked his ball on the greens following advice from his caddie Colin Swatton

He played pretty well too – finishing four-under par after an impressive round of 68. An enormous cheer went up when his name was announced to the crowd on the first tee and he responded with a booming drive down the middle. It was probably a good sign that Day was putting his tee in the ground for his drives and marking his ball on the greens. His caddie Colin Swatton revealed they had talked about this and Day decided he should do it himself.

Day was walking down his final hole on Friday when his legs gave way beneath him. He received medical attention for 10 minutes before finishing the hole but he had to be helped into the scorer’s tent by medical staff.

The 24-year-old spent a comfortable night following the incident and was reportedly ‘feeling much better’ yesterday morning and ‘ready to give it a go’. Day had signed for a 70 on Friday and, even after finishing with a bogey, was only three shots behind the joint leaders, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. His US Open record showed how well suited he is to this form of attritional golf, with three top four finishes in the past four editions.

Day struck a fine iron into the opening green yesterday and was unlucky to see the birdie putt fail to drop. As it was, a par was highly impressive. He lipped out for a par at the second and another birdie opportunity slipped by at the third. At the 4th he hit his first poor shot, as his approach finished in a greenside bunker which left him with no shot. Another bogey.

Jason Day lies on the ground after the Australian was overcome by dizziness on the ninth hole

Day Is tended to by caddie Colin Swatton after he collapsed on the Chambers Bay course

Day went down before he reached the green and play was held up for several minutes

Day gingerly gets to his feet before he holed out for a bogey at the par-three

Day has suffered from vertigo symptoms for the last five years, and had to withdraw after three rounds of the Bridgestone Invitational last August. Last month he also withdrew from the Byron Nelson tournament on the eve of the event and booked himself into hospital for a series of tests, that failed to get to the root of the problem.

It’s clearly a worry going forward for one of the most gifted young players in the game. He ordered the tests because he was feeling fatigued and before this US Open admitted he was still not feeling up to strength. It is clearly going to be a battle to be fit for the Open at St Andrews next month.

Day had to be helped into the scorer’s tent by medical staff watched by his concerned wife, Ellie, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child.

Day has suffered from vertigo symptoms for the past five years and had to withdraw after three rounds of the Bridgestone Invitational last August.